


It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Month

by midnightcat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-23 21:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13198695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightcat/pseuds/midnightcat
Summary: CHRISTMAS FIC! Marinette is suffering from her time of the month and ends up missing the Secret Santa gift exchange at school. When Adrien finds out she isn't feeling well, he decides to pay her a visit as Chat Noir.





	1. Secret Santa

“Marinette, you really shouldn’t go to school today. You don’t look too good!”  
Tikki was flying around Marinette’s head as she attempted to rise from the bed and failed.  
“I know, Tikki, but my time of the month isn’t exactly an excuse for being absent… OW!”  
Marinette felt deep pain resonate through her lower abdomen and she groaned in frustration.  
“My teachers are going to hate me… I’m always late and now this? And what will my parents say… ughhhhh…”  
Tikki frowned and lightly pushed back on the girl’s shoulder, having her fall back into bed as her mother knocked on the bedroom door. The kwami hid under the covers as Sabine pushed it open and saw her daughter in distress.  
“Is everything okay, Marinette? Are you sick?”  
“I’m just cramping really badly and-“  
“Say no more. I’ll go get something that will make you feel better, okay? Stay in bed today. I’ll have Alya bring your homework.”  
Marinette nodded to herself and drifted off to sleep after her mom gave her some pain medication. Tikki stayed by her side, hoping that today would be a day with no akumas for Ladybug’s sake. It was unusual that Marinette was feeling so unwell this time around, but Tikki would be there for her no matter what.  
~  
“Aw, man. Marinette’s not coming today! And on Secret Santa Swap Day? I swear that girl sometimes… Guess I’m sitting by myself, then.”  
Nino looked at the seat next to Alya longingly and Adrien decided to help him out.  
“We can’t let you sit all by yourself on such a momentous day... Right, Nino?"  
Adrien winked while Alya was watching Chloe yell at Sabrina across the room.  
"Oh... OH! Right, dude! I'll sit with you today, Alya!"  
Alya snapped back into the conversation, her eyes wide.  
"Oh! Oh, okay... But no doodling or drooling on her desk!"  
Telling by the blush on her cheeks and the look of happiness on his face, Adrien had given them the best gift they could have asked for.  
"Anyway... What's wrong with Marinette?" Nino asked curiously.  
Without any hesitation, Alya sighed and said, "Who knows... I just hope she'll be better by Christmas. Never can tell."  
Adrien, feeling bad for his friend, decided he would try to find out more.  
"Are you going to take her homework to her today?"  
"Yeah... Why? You wanna come with?"  
"Sure. Is there anything else she needs us to bring?"  
"Well, obviously if you guys are going I'm going too!" Nino said, crossing his arms in utter delight at the thought of spending more time with the girl beside him.  
Alya received a text, that Adrien guessed was from Marinette, and Alya started to laugh.  
"On second thought, it might be better if I go alone, boys."  
"What?! Why?" They said in perfect unison.  
"Because unless you want to bring her chocolate and some other personal items, I suggest you stay home this afternoon."  
The boys were utterly confused, but they didn't have time to think about it much because Ms. Mendeleiev finally walked into the classroom.  
"Alright, students! Time to swap with your secret santas! Quickly, please... We still have a lesson today!"  
The students jumped out of their seats and began to trade. Nathaniel made his way to Chloe's seat and gently laid a piece of paper on her desk.  
"Merry Christmas, Chloe."  
She frowned and picked it up with two thin fingers, seemingly afraid it would infect her with something. When she saw what was on it, though, her jaw dropped and she didn't seem to know what to say- a first for her.  
"I wasn't really sure what to do for you since I figured you'd want something expensive but I only have so much for the holiday and since I like drawing I thought-"  
"...Thank you, Nathaniel."  
Everyone simultaneously gasped throughout the room, including Ms. Mendeleiev.  
She got up from her seat and gave the awkward boy a genuine hug. Then she straightened her clothes and quickly sat back down. She turned to her peers and yelled, "Just WHAT do you think you're looking at? I know it's hard NOT to watch me, but there's nothing to see here! Get your measly little eyeballs off of me!"  
The class resumed their gift-giving with joyful conviction. Alya gave Rose a fluffy pink journal, which resulted in many squeals and hugs. Nino gave Alya a mixed tape he had made at home and a gift card for the coffee store down the street.  
"I was hoping we could stop by soon... You know, together. Maybe."  
"Sure, Nino!" Nino couldn't contain his happiness and then she said, "Let's take Adrien and Marinette, too!"  
Nino was obviously disappointed but smiled for her sake.  
"He must like her a lot..." Adrien thought, waiting for someone to approach him. The strange thing was that no one did. He'd already given his present to Juleka (two front-row tickets to see Jagged Stone) and was patiently sitting in his chair.  
"Adrikins! Where's your present?"  
Chloe looked at the boy, obviously just as confused as everyone else. Alya gulped, knowing what would follow once she said it.  
"Marinette is sick today and I believe she was Adrien's secret santa."  
Adrien was relieved to hear the news, but Chloe began to throw a tantrum.  
"WHAT? My Adrikins deserves all the presents in this room and MORE! Marinette Dupain-Cheng is going to regret this for the rest of her miserable common life!"  
"That's enough, Miss Bourgeois," exclaimed Ms. Mendeleiev. "Mr. Agreste, I assume you will be able to arrange a time to pick up your gift from Miss Dupain-Cheng?"  
Adrien smiled and nodded, telling Chloe that it really was okay. He couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed, and a little curious about his gift, but he knew that Marinette would never forget to give anyone a gift.  
Would she? Adrien thought about it long and hard.  
Was the reason she was absent really because she didn't feel well or because she didn't like Adrien enough to get him something and didn't want to embarrass him with the news in front of his class? Maybe that was why she never really talked to him and it wouldn't be the first time he wasn't given a gift...  
While he figured that the insecure thoughts he was having were absolutely absurd, he couldn't shake the feeling. He figured that he wouldn't get the answer as Adrien... But maybe he could if he visited her as Chat Noir.


	2. A Care Package

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir visits Marinette and Adrien receives his gift.

"I CANNOT believe I forgot it was Santa Swap day! Adrien must have felt awful! I am officially the worst person ever and he'll never like me now and oh my gosh he'll end up with Chloe and they'll run off and have lots of fashionable and famous babies and because of this, his father will never pick my designs again and-"

"Girl, please tell me you're not serious."

"Ugggggggggggh! Why, Alya, WHY?"

Marinette plowed her face into her pillow. She held a heating pad to her stomach. She'd only had her period for a few months now and she'd never had to use one. She hoped this would be the last time, but she highly doubted it. Her lower back started to complain and she decided to stay where she was in bed.

Alya started to laugh.

"Honestly, I think Chloe was more upset than Adrien was. He said he'd text you tomorrow-"

"HE'D WHAT?1"

"...Text you. Tomorrow."

"But he doesn't even have my number!"

Alya grinned and shrugged, still giggling to herself.

"What are friends for, right?"

Marinette yelped and continued to hide her blush with the pillow. This was doing nothing for her nerves.

"Anyway, he's going to text you tomorrow so that he doesn't overload you today, since you're not feeling well and all, and ask what a good time to come over is."

"Oh no."

"Why is that a bad thing, Marinette! The guy you like is finally coming over!"

"The posters, Alya. THE POSTERS."

Alya looked at the walls and made her way around the room, tearing them down one by one. When she was done, she crumpled them up and threw them in a pink trash can by her desk.

"Gonna have to change the wallpaper to your computer too... Unless you just don't turn it on or something."

"You're a lifesaver," Marinette said, sighing with relief. "I don't think I could get up right now if I wanted to."

Alya's phone beeped and Marinette's heart began to race. If it was an akuma, there would be very little she could do about it with how she felt.

"Don't worry. It's just Nino. He wants to grab some food later."

"Oooooooooh-"

"Don't you dare, Marinette-"

"Like a date?"

Alya gagged and pretended to faint next to her friend.

"Of COURSE not! Nino is like a brother to me!"

"Mhm."

"And I have no feelings for him whatsoever!"

"I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

Marinette sat up against her wall and faced her friend, putting the heat pad aside.

"Because if you didn't like him, you wouldn't get so defensive and you definitely wouldn't even say yes to spending time with him."

She could see the cogs in Alya's brain trying to find some reason to dispute her, but she couldn't find one.

"Yeah. Okay. You win. I like Nino. Wow, that sounds weird coming out of my mouth."

Her phone beeped again and she started to make her way to the door, grabbing her bag on the way out.

"Be careful, Alya! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"Shut UP!"

"Don't kiss him too much!"

"MARINETTE!"

"Bye!"

Alya slammed the door behind her and Tikki flew to Marinette's side, amused by her holder's behavior.

"You shouldn't tease her so much. She's not nearly as bad as you are."

"Hey!"

The two laughed together until they suddenly heard a loud thud on her balcony. Marinette yelped and told Tikki to stay down. The two sat in silence and started to relax, but another noise erupted just outside her window. Without thinking, Marinette leapt into action and grabbed a nearby umbrella.

"I deal with super villains all the time... I can deal with a robber..."

She braced herself and then a black figure fell through the roof. She started to swing at it and she heard a familiar voice.

"Ouch- OW! Marinette! Princess! Stop! It's just me! It's just A- UH, Chat Noir!"

"Chat?!"

Marinette dropped the umbrella and stared at her friend, a million questions running through her head. Before she could ask any of them, she grasped her stomach and grimaced in pain. She forgot momentarily that she should have stayed where she was considering the circumstances, but there was nothing she could do about it then.

"Are you okay?" Chat asked, quickly forgetting his own injuries. He picked up the umbrella from the floor, placing it against a wall. He realized he recognized it... Mostly because it was his. 

"Yes, I'm fine-"

"You don't look it."

"Thanks a ton, alley cat."

"That's not what I meant!"

"It's okay-"

"No, really," Chat Noir pleaded. "I overheard you were feeling unwell from some friends and decided to come check up on you... It's kinda my job after all to keep everyone in Paris happy."

Marinette plastered a fake smile on her face and sat in her desk chair, wishing she still had the heating pad.

"Yes, I guess it is. And whoever you heard that from was right. I'm..."

She hesitated, not sure how much she should really tell him.

"Princess? You were saying?"

Marinette smiled awkwardly and decided to test the waters.

"Could you do me a favor?"

Chat smiled mischievously and began to strut towards the girl.

"Anything for a cute girl like yourself... What is it? A flex of the muscles? A kiss on the cheek? A brave story of how I-"

"No."

"Oh." He stuttered and stopped joking around.

"There's a heating pad by my bed and I think there's some pain medication as well. Can you grab them for me? Please?"

He said nothing and immediately got them for her, jumping down from the bed to meet her at the desk.

"What's wrong, Marinette? This doesn't seem like your everyday cold..."

Marinette laughed and it started to hurt again.

"That's because it's not..."

Marinette took the items from him and pressed the heating pad to her abdomen, a little embarrassed.

"How much do you know about periods, kitty?"

The boy looked like he'd been hit by a train.

"Uh..."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay..."

Marinette looked at him curiously, a little confused.

"Can you wait right here? Promise not to move?"

"Sure..."

The cat practically ran from the room and out the door. She tried not to feel hurt, but she was. Tikki watched from the side of the room, not sure of what to do.

"Tikki, did I just embarrass him? I really didn't mean to..."

"I don't think so, Marinette."

She felt her eyelids start to fall and gave into her exhaustion. She woke up to the sound of someone approaching. 

To her surprise, the cat had returned.

"Oh! Hi. I'm sorry if I scared you off. I really didn't mean to-"

"Shhhhh. Here."

The boy handed her what looked like a picnic basket. She pulled back the cover and her face lit up.

The best chocolate money can buy. Cinnamon tea. A warm, black blanket. Fuzzy socks. And...

"Love Actually?"

Chat Noir blushed and started to explain.

"Well, it's one of my favorite holiday movies and I figured if you wanted, I could stay and make sure you're okay... And we could watch it. Or not. It's up to what you feel like-"

The girl shot up from her chair and hugged the boy, who started to purr.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"I'm happy that I could help a friend."

Friends. Chat Noir and Marinette were friends now. She couldn't believe it, but there they were!

"I have a question," Marinette said.

"Sure!"

"How did you know to get all of this stuff? Do you have a sister or something?"

The cat's face dropped and he looked away, walking towards the window.

"My mom always had a really rough time with them. I just remembered what my father used to get for her. I know it can be painful... Even if I can't imagine what it feels like. I wanted to make up for bursting in here the way I did, so..."

Marinette thought about what he said and asked, "Had?"

Chat Noir wouldn't face her, but she knew that whatever it was, he didn't want to talk about it.

"You're welcome to stay, kitty. I'd like some good company. And to use what you got me right away! I definitely need all of it!"

He finally turned back, smiling at his new friend. He never got to talk to her this way when he was just plain Adrien. He loved it.

But that reminded him of the original reason he visited her.

"I would love to, but I do want to know one thing before we get ready to watch the movie."

"Yes?"

"There was a boy at your school, a pretty good-looking one too, that was missing his present today at school. I guess you guys had some kind of gift exchange or something?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Are you his Secret Santa?"

The girl's face turned red and Adrien's chest filled with hurt. She was already embarrassed to talk about him.

"Yes, I am."

"Well..." He hesitated, not sure how to continue. "Can I see what you got him?"

She was a little shocked to say the least.

"Why? Do you know him?"

"UH- No, not really. I mean I recognized him but I was just wondering if you'd gotten him something-"

"Of course I got him something!"

Well, that answered his question. He was filled with contempt and thrilled to know that she had actually thought of him. Wait, why was he so happy about this? Probably just because he wasn't used to getting personal things from people. At least, that's what he told himself in that moment.

"I would never leave Adrien out of that. Never. Although, I don't know if he'll like it..."

"Of course he will! Why wouldn't he?"

Marinette frowned, her eyes not meeting his.

"I made it. I don't think it's really good enough."

He was taken aback by this, so much that the room fell silent for a few moments. Then he cleared his throat and said,

"Of course it is. He will love it, Marinette. I know he will."

Marinette smiled, waving away the discussion and standing to prepare the movie on her computer. She thanked her lucky stars that there was already a webpage on the screen so that he didn't see the wallpaper. She didn't want to go into it, feeling like she'd already said too much.

She briefly went downstairs to make them some tea. She was very fortunate that her parents were at an important event and not at home. They had already interrogated her enough about leaving her the way she was. She couldn't imagine what would happen if they found out that she was alone with Chat Noir.

Adrien, in the meantime, was looking at some crumpled papers by the trash can. He thought he could see a face in one of the photographs and leaned down to pick it up. Before he could, though, she returned with the drinks and he pretended like he hadn't been snooping.

Marinette wrapped the blanket around her and popped the movie into the drive. She opened the chocolates and put the socks on her feet. She felt better than she had all day and Chat Noir gazed at her, how comfortable she seemed. He felt a pang in his chest that he couldn't identify, but he let it pass. 

As the movie progressed, he occasionally looked over to check on her. In the last ten minutes, she fell into a deep sleep. He quietly paused the movie and carried her to the bed, careful not to wake her as he walked. He pressed a kiss into her palm and quickly made his way back home.

~

The next day, Adrien Agreste showed up at Marinette's door at the agreed time.

"Hey, Marinette! I heard you were feeling sick. Any better today?"

The girl smiled kindly at the boy. 

"Much better, thank you!"

She gave him a box with perfect red wrapping and a big gold bow.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be there yesterday, but I hope you like your present.”

"I'm sure I will! Should I open it now?"

"That's okay! It's cold out and I'm sure someone is wondering where you are. Just let me know what you think later!"

Adrien nodded and said goodbye, waving as he walked away. He tried to blame the redness of his face on the cold, but Plagg knew better. It struck him that she didn't stutter once through the whole conversation and his mind raced with what could have changed.

"Open it NOW, Adrien! I wanna know what it is! Maybe it's camembert!"

"Okay, okay! Just let me turn the corner at least!"

Adrien stopped at the coffee shop and opened the gift. He couldn't believe his eyes.

There in the box was a perfect, hand-made coat. It was made of green corduroy with black buttons and warm dark fur on the inside. He immediately put it on and smiled, tears forming at his eyes.

It was the best gift he had ever received from anyone and for the first time since his mother had disappeared, Adrien felt truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually considering adding more chapters to this story... Leave a comment if you want to read more for this particular story! :)


	3. The Green Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien wears the coat to school and when someone starts becoming suspicious of Chat's identity, Marinette starts to question it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back by popular demand! Here is a continuation of my favorite story so far! Hope you guys like it! I also like to imagine that Alya is kind of like that one teacher in The Incredibles who blames Dash for the tack on the seat where he's like "I KNOW IT'S HIM! I KNOW IT!"

Adrien wore his new favorite coat to school the next day.

The other students around him gushed over him all day, saying how marvelously the coat matched his eyes, how the black suited his stature nicely, or simply just how soft it was. It gave him this newfound confidence as himself- Adrien- like a part of his feline side was slipping though without the world even knowing.

Except, that wasn't entirely true.

"Don't you think he looks a little familiar, Marinette?"

"Hmm?"

Marinette had been doodling and smiling to herself quietly all day, obviously not listening to Alya.

"He looks just like Chat Noir!"

"Wh-What?!"

Alya laughed and showed a side by side comparison of the two boys; a picture of the perfect boy in front of them and the rugged superhero with just a swipe to the right.

"I'm serious! Maybe it's him! I can't believe no one else sees it. Maybe I'm just crazy."

Marinette finally managed to sneak a glance at Adrien, who was beaming from head to toe in her own creation. She was proud of the design, and admitted it was her best work to date, but it started to dawn on her that she made a connection without meaning to. 

"I guess he has the same coloring and they kind of look alike..."

"Right? I KNOW!"

"But Adrien is nothing like Chat Noir," Marinette said, "And if he were, do you really think he'd wear it to school and make it that obvious?"

Alya's brow furrowed and she put head in her hands, clearly distraught.

"Ugh. You're right. I thought I had him, just once!"

"I know, I know..."

But Marinette couldn't shake the feeling as she comforted her friend. The more she looked, the more she saw her companion. She finally decided to focus on something else and let her mind take a break. She noticed Nathaniel sitting alone in the back, drawing just like she was. She stood and sat next to the ginger, waiting for him to notice that she was there. When he did, he yelped.

"Agh! Marinette! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

"That's okay! What are you drawing?"

He laughed awkwardly and started to explain a new comic that he was going to post online in the hopes that it would be published one day. The two were casually talking, smiling, and laughing... But it didn't look that way to Adrien.

Adrien was staring at her. It was the intense kind of staring that only a boy filled with jealous rage could produce. Alya noticed this, but said nothing as the boy angrily marched back to his seat from the crowd and took out his phone. He texted Nino secretly (or as secretly as humanly possible):

"What do you do when the person you like doesn't feel the same?"

Nino looked at him, confused by the beeping of his phone when Adrien was sitting right next to him, but when he saw the message he understood. He immediately replied.

"Dude, who is it? You're crushing on someone?"

Adrien peeked back at the happy blue-haired, blue-eyed girl seated next to his new mortal enemy.

"It's pretty bad, man."

Nino frowned and felt his own frustration with the girl sitting behind him.

"Adrien, I love you dude, but you're not the kind of guy to let some girl get away. You could ask out any girl here and they'd be lucky to have you, and I'm pretty sure you know that already. Just go for it. If she rejects you, than take the punch and move on. But life's too short to get caught up in the possibilities, man."

Adrien read every word over until it hit him like a ton of bricks.

And then a ton of bricks cascaded down from the roof.

~

"Phew, I'm glad no one got hurt from that akuma! Who knew Constructo would be so hard to defeat! Right, Chat Noir?"

Chat wasn't in the talking mood and if Ladybug knew one thing that boy loved to do, it was talk.

"Okay, spill it. What's going on?"

The boy shrugged and sat on the edge of the roof, waiting for her to join him before speaking.

"Long story short... I think I have feelings for this girl. But I think she might like someone else."

"Oh."

Ladybug sat, not sure how to respond.

"Does this girl have a name?"

"Why? Is M'Lady jealous?"

"Now that's the Chat I know!"

They laughed momentarily, but the moment didn't last long.

"I don't need a name but why do you think she likes someone else?"

Chat sighed and said, "I go to school with her and when I saw her with this other guy... talking over a common interest... I got jealous. I'm still jealous."

"Well, that's normal. I get jealous all the time."

"You do?"

Ladybug laughed until her lungs hurt.

"Unfortunately, I think it's my biggest flaw, kitty."

Chat wasn't shocked at the fact that she struggled with it, since he'd seen it himself a few times, but he never thought she was flawed.

"Anyway," She said, "That's besides the point. Maybe you should talk to her about how you feel, Chat. Communication is key in situations like this! Not like I do it all that well..."

"What?"

"Nothing! Nothing. Just talk to her. Okay, kitty? No matter what I'm always here for you."

The girl stood, waved goodbye, and made her way towards her house.

She was more sure than ever that the boy sitting on the roof was not Adrien Agreste.


	4. Terrible Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few days since school let out for winter break and Adrien has thought it over. He's going to test the waters again to see who Marinette likes... as Chat Noir. On New Years Eve.

"I'm going to do it, Plagg. I'm going to find out who she likes."

"Took you long enough, kid. You've been circling around the idea for DAYS now! There isn't enough camembert cheese in the world to make up for all the patience I've disposed of!"

"Yeah, yeah... You're going to have to be a little more patient though."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm going to find out as Chat Noir."

"OH, COME ON-"

"Plagg, Claws Out!"

~

Marinette sat at her desk, continuing her elaborate doodles while talking to Tikki.

"So... you've never thought of Chat Noir the way you think of Adrien?"

"Well..." 

"That's not a no, Marinette."

"No," She sighed and said, "It's not. But I love Adrien-"

Tikki put her little arm up to Marinette's mouth to silence her, forcing her to look up from the sketches.

"Say what you will about Adrien, but there's a difference between infatuation and love."

Marinette's eyes were wide as she listened to the kwami.

"I'm not saying that what you have with Adrien isn't love, because maybe it is, but I think you should think about who has shown it to you. Who has shown you love, Marinette?"

Marinette thought back to a few days earlier when the alley cat had brought her all those things to make her feel better... But then she saw Adrien's smile in her head.

"Oh, Tikki. I don't know."

"And it's okay not to know. But don't deny what you feel, Marinette. I know you better than that and I know you're suppressing how you feel about the cat for the model. Maybe see what both options have to offer you. Or don't explore either and focus on yourself. This is a time of resolutions, after all. But I want you to do what feels right. Because Ladybugs in the passed have sacrificed their feelings for others, as have Chat Noirs, and-"

"What do you mean they've sacrificed their feelings?"

"Ladybugs and Chat Noirs give their whole heart to other people. And when they do it blindly for the wrong person, they have fallen victim to akumatization or worse..."

"Worse?"

"Death... This right here-"

Tikki flew and tapped on Marinette's chest, right above her heart.

"This is more valuable than anything else right now. I can't watch you suffer because you deny yourself of what you feel is right. And I think you know what I mean."

"But-" Marinette was grasping at the right words to say, "What about Chat Noir? Is Chat bottling up feelings now? I mean he must be because of that girl he likes, right?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Marinette?"

There was a crash on her balcony before Tikki could say any more. She quickly flew into a pile of fabric in the corner of the room, carefully observing as Marinette lead the cat from the door.

~

"I'm sorry to create such a cat-astrophe on such a special evening..."

Marinette rolled her eyes as the boy sat awkwardly on her chaise.

"If you're staying, try to avoid the puns."

"But Puuuur-incess!"

"I mean it!"

The teenagers laughed, and silence immediately fell between the two. Marinette grasped onto her pen for dear life and Chat looked for what to say.

"So I-"

"So what-"

They awkwardly apologized, insisted the other go ahead, and Marinette finally won over.

"Okay, Okay! What are you doing here?"

The boy smiled and lifted his brow.

"Do I really need an excuse to visit a good friend on a night like any other?"

"But it's not like any other," Marinette said, giggling. "It's New Year's Eve. Don't you have somewhere to be, kitty?"

His face fell like it had the last time he visited her.

"My father made his feelings very clear about me going out... But I snuck out to see you."

Marinette couldn't fight the blush making it's way onto her face. She was grateful that she wasn't facing the cat. She reminded herself that if she could keep her developing crush from him, maybe she could help him with his girl problems... Even if Tikki didn't like it.

"Well, I'm happy to entertain as long as you don't mind me sketching."

The cat sat up straight and made his way to the desk, standing over the girl and her work.

"These are great designs! Not like I know anything about fashion, but I like them all the same. What was your inspiration?"

Marinette didn't want to tell the truth, but it was pretty obvious.

"Well, you and Ladybug of course!"

Chat smiled and deep down he wanted to ask her right then how she felt. But he knew he needed to ease into it.

"I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" She asked. "So you do... And what might that be?"

He liked the teasing side of her; it reminded him of Ladybug. He tried to ignore the conflicted feelings clawing at his chest.

"I propose that we play a game. Any game."

Marinette dropped the pen on her desk, and swung around in her chair to glare the hero in the eye. Maybe Tikki was right. This was a perfect opportunity to explore her options.

"Challenge accepted. How about truth or dare?"

"Ohoho... That sounds like a terrible idea. Daring the most dangerous alley cat in all of Paris to do anything will likely give you all the bad luck that comes with it."

"So you don't want to play?"

Chat Noir grumbled and Marinette celebrated her victory as he sat on the floor, waiting for him to join her. It felt so much like they were back on the roof, but of course she couldn't say that.

"Okay, you go first since I came up with the idea."

"I was the one who suggested a game!"

"Too bad, kitty! You go first!"

Chat was nervous to play since Marinette could potentially uncover his feelings before he could find out hers, but he was willing to take the risk and play along for the time being.

"Okay... Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Ask me anything."

The boy grinned and tried to come up with something- other than what he was dying to ask her- while she waited. She grabbed her phone, picked a playlist of rock music, and he had a question ready when she was done.

"What was your favorite thing that I brought you the other night?"

Marinette's answer came quickly. "The blanket."

"Really? Why?"

"No, no, no! That's another question for truth!"

"Oh, come on! Pleaaaase?"

"Fine... While I loved the chocolate, like really loved it, and the movie was great..."

She hesitated before letting her thoughts spill out.

"The blanket made me feel warm. Like someone was holding me all night long. Plus, it's furry and cozy and matches my socks!"

She laughed and Chat smiled. He felt good knowing that he made a good impression on her for once.

"Okay, my turn. Truth or dare, kitty?"

"Dare."

"Oooooh, perfect! What about..."

The game went on for hours without them noticing. Before they knew it, they were minutes away from a new year beginning.

"Truth or Dare?" Chat asked her, knowing so much more about her than he had before (which did nothing for alleviating his feelings whatsoever). He was crossing his fingers that he hadn't revealed too much.

"Dare."

"Tell me who you like."

Marinette's heart stopped.

"Uhhhh..."

"I know there must be someone out there you have feelings for. Anyone? Anyone in particular?"

Marinette gulped down her anxiety and spoke up.

"I like this boy in my class."

His heart sank.

"He's kind, and sweet, and so much more than people see on the outside. But..."

"But?"

She looked away from the boy across from her.

"But I think I might like a... certain someone as well."

He brightened at the thought- at the possibility- that it could be him. Even though Nino said not to depend on them, he wanted to chase it as long as he could.

"Well, do these people have names?"

Marinette waved off the question, avoiding the answer.

"I don't think the boy in my class would ever pick me if it came down to it or even notices that I exist a majority of the time... He’s so busy and seems happy without all of that... But this other someone."

Her eyes met his.

"I think he would."

She stared at her ceiling, blinking away tears.

"And not for the person I thought he'd ever want. But for the person right in front of him. I really never thought it'd end up this way... Why is this so hard?"

She slowly started to stand.

"I understand if you don't want to stay anymore. I'm sure-"

"Marinette."

"What?"

Chat stood, too. He was only a few feet away.

"It's your turn to ask me."

She took a deep breath.

"Okay. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

She closed her eyes.

"It's a terrible idea."

"I like terrible ideas."

She chuckled, letting the tension go. Here goes nothing.

"If you don't feel anything for me, than leave before the countdown ends."

She paused, her heart pounding a million miles an hour.

"But if you do feel the same, Chat... Then do something about it."

She kept her eyes closed, waiting for the slam of a door that never came.

She could hear the numbers fading away from the television downstairs. 

10...  
9...  
8...  
7...  
6...  
5...  
4...  
3...  
2...  
1...

Somewhere between one and the other smaller numbers that lead to zero, Chat leaned in and kissed her.

It was her first kiss. It was his first kiss. But it didn't feel like it. 

It felt like they'd found something they'd lost for hundreds of years and it was finally found after all that time. They didn't know how long they'd been there, and they didn't really care. Chat was the one to pull away, but their eyes never parted.

"I-"

He was at a loss for words.

"I know." She said. Because she did. She understood exactly what he was feeling.

~

The hero left the girl's room a few minutes later after saying goodbye. It was difficult for them to pull away from each other. It felt like there was an elastic band around them and the more they struggled to be apart, the closer they wanted to be. Marinette made it to her bed and when the coast was clear, Tikki came out from her hiding spot.

"I saw what happened."

"I'm sure you did, Tikki."

"Did it feel right?"

Marinette smiled at her, suddenly exhausted from the night's events.

"More than right."

Tikki decided to drop the subject, but knew that this was just the beginning of a very long road. She knew that Chat Noir and Adrien were the same person, but she had her reasons to influence them this way... And she hoped that by finally putting the halves of the whole together, no harm could ever come to them now.

But she knew in the back of her mind that maybe it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I did the thing. You're welcome.


	5. A Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya clears up a misunderstanding and Adrien does everything in his power not to reveal anything about his superhero identity.

Alya was the most confused person on the planet.

She'd been watching Adrien and Marinette throughout the school day and she couldn't figure out what happened. All of a sudden, the boy had goo-goo eyes for Marinette and she was barely paying any attention to him after pining endlessly for months! She couldn't put her finger on it then, but she planned to find out after school. When the bell rang, she ran after Adrien.

"Hey, Adrien!"

He jumped as if he'd been talking to someone. Strange, considering that no one was around...

"Oh! Hey, Alya! What's up?"

Alya crossed her arms and began the interrogation.

"You'd consider us friends, right?"

"Uh... Yeah, of course!"

"And friends are honest with each other, right?"

"Oh no..." Thought Adrien. "She knows..." He nodded in response, looking utterly confused.

"Okay, listen to what I have to say then. I know you have feelings for Marinette."

"I-"

"Do not even try to tell me otherwise. I've seen the way you look at her during class. But there's one part of this equation that I can't figure out."

"And what is that?" He asked.

She smiled mischievously.

"You see, Marinette was fawning over you for the past few months, but now she's barely paying any attention to you. I know my best friend and something must have happened. Something dramatic..."

"Um... Okay..."

"So what I'm saying is that you two have switched places and that isn't caused out of the blue."

"I guess not?"

"Right... So what happened?"

Adrien tried to control the thousands of thoughts running through his head. He couldn't tell her anything about their nightly visits. He had to be very careful about what he said next because if he screwed it up, his whole life would fall apart.

"Well... After Marinette gave me the coat at the Secret Santa Swap, I started noticing her romantically a bit more. I really don't know anything about- Wait. You said we switched places?"

Alya nodded, her eyebrow raised and a grin plastered to her face.

"I don't understand."

Then he finally did. He felt like he'd been run over by a truck.

"You're saying she's liked me this entire time?"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW?!"

Alya started laughing hysterically... and then she started to panic because she realized she just revealed her best friend's biggest secret. (Well, that she knew of.)

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." They said in unison.

"I thought you knew!"

"I thought she liked Nathaniel!"

"NATHANIEL?! No! Why would she like Nathaniel?"

"I saw them sketching the other day and I thought-"

"Wow, you guys really are perfect for each other. You're both completely clueless!"

It then started to dawn on him that the boy from her class she had talked about on New Years Eve was himself.

"Alya, has she been insecure about the way she's felt about me?"

"Well, in what sense?" The girl said, adjusting her coat as the wind picked up speed. They could see a storm coming and would have to wrap up the conversation soon.

"What did she think I would do if I knew?"

Alya's lingering smile finally disappeared.

"She knows for sure that she's... Well, she knows how strongly she feels about you. But she's been afraid to tell you because she doesn't think you'd ever notice her that way or that you'd think she's weird. Something like that."

"But that's not true!"

"I know that, but you know what it's like when you like someone and you don't know how they'll respond to your feelings."

"Yes," He said. "I definitely do. That's how I feel right now."

"You should tell her."

Adrien's eyes widened and he started shaking his head.

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

He didn't know what to say.

"Adrien, I know for sure that she doesn't have feelings for Nathaniel. And I don't know why she's acting the way she is right now, but it's probably just her trying to create space because her insecurity is getting to her and she's hurt. The sooner you tell her the better. Trust me."

She got a text message and said, "Sorry, but I have to go. My parents are wanting me to help with dinner tonight. Let me know what you decide, but I'll tell you one thing for sure... You're lucky if you do end up with her. Got it?"

Adrien didn't hesitate to answer her. He knew what he was going to do.

"Got it."

"Okay. Bye, Adrien!"

She waved goodbye and walked off as the rain started to pour. He didn't have an umbrella. He hadn't needed it since... He started laughing.

"Everything keeps coming back to her. How could I not see it? Why does she feel that way?" He thought.

He ran until he reached the bakery door. And then he knocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, I'm continuing this fic since it's gaining a lot of attention after the last two chapters! I'm not sure how many chapters I will actually end up writing but we'll see where this goes!


	6. Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will we finally get a reveal? Maybe... Maybe not...

Marinette had noticed the beginning of the storm from the sales counter while she watched over the bakery. Her parents had just left on a two-day vacation and she was worried that they'd be soaked by the time they reached the airport. Since no one had come in for sweets, she kept herself busy by talking to Tikki.

"You can't just ignore him, Marinette. You sit right behind him!"

"I know, Tikki, I know."

"Then why do you keep doing it?"

Marinette sighed and rubbed her arms to keep herself warm. She told herself earlier she'd bring a blanket or a jacket down from her room, but she forgot.

"Because I need some time to figure out my feelings. I know now that I very obviously have way more in common with Chat than I thought and I do really like him. It's nice to have someone pay attention to your wants and needs instead of chasing someone who can't do that."

"I never said he couldn't do that."

"Then what did you mean?"

Marinette was getting frustrated and it scared Tikki that maybe she'd make a mistake.

"I meant that he doesn't know how you feel and as long as he doesn't, he can't do anything about it. Plus, Chat has been very sweet to you and while you thought that you loved Adrien maybe you only love ha-"

Thankfully, there was a knock at the door. Tikki hid behind the counter and hoped that the costumer didn't have a dog.

But it wasn't a costumer.

Marinette couldn't see who it was with all the rain, so when she opened the door she was shocked to find the one and only Adrien Agreste.

"Hey. I'm sorry to do this, but-"

He stopped, trying to catch his breath.

"I have a terrible idea."

Marinette heard the end of the sentence right as he kissed her. It felt familiar, but she'd only ever kissed one person so that couldn't be possible...

Then it hit her.

A terrible idea.

She pulled away and stared at the boy in front of her in horror. The hair. The eyes. It finally all made sense.

"Chat."

She raced past the counter and into the back, tears running down her face. 

~

Tikki watched as the distressed boy sat on the floor of the bakery. When he looked to the storm, she flew as fast as she could to Marinette. When she found her, the girl was a complete wreck.

"You knew, didn't you?"

Tikki didn't know what to say.

"How could you not tell me?"

Tikki tried to comfort her, but she inched away every time she tried.

"I did it for your own good."

"My own good? I've been tearing myself apart trying to decide between two people just to find out they're the same person and you thought that was in my best interest?"

"MARINETTE!"

The girl was quiet.

"Kwamis cannot tell their masters any other hero's identity, so even if I wanted to I couldn't. But you were so wrapped up with who you thought Adrien was that you never knew the other side of him. You can't love half a person. I know that Adrien is stuck in a situation where he can't be who he really is when you see him at school. But when he's Chat Noir, he can be who he wants to be and you will be closer now than you ever could have been before. I can now say for certain that you love everything about that boy and you just left him sitting alone on a bakery floor so pull yourself together and get out there!"

Marinette hated the words, but she knew they were true. She couldn't decide whether to run away or face the issue at hand, so she asked herself what Ladybug would do. That part of her knew there was only one choice to be made. She slowly stood up and made her way out into the bakery, her heart pounding.

~

Adrien watched as storm grew. 

He was so conflicted and confused that he decided to sit there until she came back. He wanted nothing more than to run out into the street and let the water wash his thoughts away. It took ten minutes, but eventually Marinette returned. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red, but she still looked adorable to him. They sat in silence before she quietly whispered, "Hey."

Adrien was lost in his words but eventually he was able to respond.

"Hey."

She jumped into action. She flipped switches, grabbed two cups, and mixed everything together until she had two perfect hot chocolates. She brought the drinks over to the boy and offered one to him. He gladly accepted it, his hand overlapping hers momentarily. She didn't move away, much to his relief.

Finally, the two sat together on the bakery floor and began to talk. Adrien explained how he found out about her feelings and how he ran over the second he knew. She was a little mad at Alya, but Adrien told her not to be. The tension began to disperse as the teenagers listened and discussed the last few weeks. After half an hour, Marinette felt that it was time to face one of her biggest fears.

"There is something I need to tell you and I can't do it here."

Marinette was shivering at the thought of telling him the truth, but she figured there would be no better time than that moment.

"Uh, okay. Where do you want to go?"

"I'm supposed to close the shop right now anyway," She said, "So, let's go up to the living room."

She grabbed the keys, locked the door, and began to walk. Adrien was giddy as he followed her up the stairs. He'd only seen her house once during an akuma breakout and he wasn't able to see as much of it as he would have liked. He knew her room fairly well, however.

When she knew it was safe, she closed the curtains and faced him.

"You ready?"

He had no idea what was going on.

"Sure."

It was now or never. She counted to three and said it without thinking.

"Tikki... Spots On."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil cackling in the distance*

**Author's Note:**

> Disaster decided to strike for me right before Christmas so that was my inspiration for this fic. The title is based on the hit song "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and in case you haven't heard it enough this holiday season...
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFtb3EtjEic
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!


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